2020 was a complicated year that took everybody by storm. Nobody could have predicted the global pandemic and its inherent consequences: the lockdown, the social dismay, physical distancing, travel restrictions, or the economic and sanitary crisis. But it was not enough to annihilate hope, innovation, and resilience. To mitigate the daunting effects of the pandemic, people not only used technology to transfer their lives to the Internet but also used their creativity to improve the existing resources and bring to the table innovative solutions.
Social media: the panacea for the COVID-19 pandemic
Social media slowly turned into a supplement to our daily routine. According to Statista, social media usage is currently one of the most popular online activities. If in 2020 social media registered 3.6 billion users across the world, by 2025 this number is expected to increase to 4.41 billion.
Undoubtedly, social media usage is on a rising tide. And it is unlikely to slow down.
According to Oberlo, there are over 3.78 billion social media users, equating to 48% of the world population. According to them, this unprecedented usage has been fuelled by continuous innovations and easy access even on the go thanks to mobile browsing optimization.
According to Backlinko, Facebook is the king of social networks, followed by YouTube and WhatsApp.
According to SmartInsights, the COVID-19 lockdown gave birth to an unprecedented increase in online activities.
For marketers, social media has become a gold mine. According to Hootsuite, Instagram is the most effective network in attracting marketing expenditure. Almost 60% of the businesses that participated in the survey intend to increase their investment in Instagram.
For most business owners, Facebook has turned into a piece of well-oiled social machinery that can make them reach their clearly defined business goals: attract new customers, enhance brand awareness, and drive leads.
It is clear that underestimating the digital savviness of your loyal and prospective clients and the marketing power of social media are mistakes no business can afford to make.
Just take a look at the social path to business success as depicted by SmartInsights:
How to develop your own social media
More and more businesses develop their marketing strategies around meaningful and innovative interactions on social media. Virtual and Augmented Reality, live streaming, Facebook or Instagram stories, social media shops, or videos provide users with unique, dynamic, and impactful experiences that increase brand awareness.
According to SproutSocial, this is what it takes to make your business stand out:
What’s more, consumers expect brands to be transparent and break trends.
But let’s see social media in action! During the pandemic, Nike ran an emotional and powerful campaign that was heavily promoted across social media. The video showed how Nike’s athletes exercised during the lockdown. What makes Nike different from other brands is that the giant not only focused on raising brand awareness: they took things one step further and made the subscription to Nike Training Club app free, giving people access to workouts and training tips. You can find the video here.
We have already had a glimpse of what customers expect from their favourite brands. And we have also seen how brands use technology to connect with their audience. But making an impact on social media requires careful planning: clearly define your marketing goals and business objectives, get to know your audience, undergoing an in-depth competitive analysis, track crucial metrics, gather data, set up profiles, etc. There are a lot of factors that hide behind an impactful brand social media presence. Fortunately, if you lack the necessary time and expertise, there are many companies ready to have your back.
How will social media develop in the future?
Even though experts seem to agree that social media will keep playing a pivotal role in the way we interact and consume for a long time to come, 2020 taught us all that the only predictable thing about life is its unpredictability. But, in the meantime, we should take a look at how experts foresee the future of social media.
According to iDevAffiliate, there are certain social media trends that are likely to go well beyond 2021:
● Temporary content – such as Instagram Stories – will keep attracting and engaging customers.
● Social commerce will become the new battlefield for business success.
● Video content is expected to keep dominating social media. However, using live streaming - for shopping events, to provide customer service, etc. - will become the new norm.
● Social media will keep adopting new technologies such as AR or VR, providing users with engaging and unique experiences. Currently, Instagram and Snapchat are already using AR filters to enhance visual content, while Facebook is experimenting with several AR and VR functionalities.
● Influencer Marketing will continue to make an impact.
● Social Listening and Sentiment Analysis will become an essential part of any marketing strategy.
● Social media communities will continue to rise, bringing together people with common interests and providing brands with valuable customer insights.
● There will be stricter regulatory and legal norms to prevent data misuse.
Wrap up
2020 has opened up the way for social media trends that are here to stay for a good while. Given its dynamic and impactful nature, social media will turn into the ace up the sleeve of those brands who fully understand its enormous marketing potential. Is your business ready to adopt the new norm?
This post is published by Alex Sysov.
